Following a morale-boosting 40-37 win over Tanzania on Saturday, the Desert Jewels of Namibia yesterday failed to build on that momentum as they went down 53-44 against a strong Malawian side at the Wanderers indoor courts in the capital.

The Namibians were hoping to bolster their African Netball Championship campaign with a win against Malawi, but it was not meant to be, as the rampant and fast Malawians dominated all quarters on their way to a comfortable win.

The Desert Jewels will today confront Zambia in what is expected to be another thrilling clash, where no quarter will be given nor asked.

Reflecting on the weekend’s performance, Namibian coach Julene Meyer said despite the mixed results, she is happy with the team’s overall performance at the tournament so far, as the girls are improving with each match.

“I hope the players are learning from each game played thus far, because we want to be at a stage where we can be comfortable with our games,” she said.

Meanwhile, Malawian coach Peace Chawinga-Kaluwa said she was happy with the win and how her team played, saying it was not an easy match, as the Namibians threw the entire kitchen sink at them throughout the match.

“Namibia was really on top of their game; they gave us a tough time, as they ran their lungs out. But I’m happy with how my girls responded to the test at hand; we expected a tough game but we responded very well,” said Chawinga-Kaluwa.